Category Archives: Main Course

Mike our drain guy came Saturday morning and cleared our kitchen drain. (We have a relationship because our main drain runs through a grove of trees on its way to the street. We have it cleared every couple of years whether it needs it or not.) He said the methi stems really clogged up the drain and don’t try putting that down the garbage disposal again.

Saturday evening I cautiously cooked the bunch of methi. I found a recipe for Methi Chicken online and another one for methi with peas. I replaced tomatoes with peas because I had fresh peas.

More Discoveries about Methi

I approached the bunch of methi cautiously. I wanted to pull the leaves off the tough stems because I wouldn’t be able to chew them any more readily than the garbage disposal.

I put the bunch of methi in a bowl of water and discovered that it would probably have been easier to work with the greens if they were dry. Next time: pull off the leaves before washing. What is the most efficient way to wash and drain the tiny leaves?

Pulling the leaves off the stems is slow, slow work. After 1 hour I had about 3 cups of tiny leaves and I wasn’t halfway through the bunch. Is there a faster way to pull the leaves off the stems?

The leaves wilt into next to nothing. I added a 10-ounce package of frozen chopped spinach at the last minute so the meal had enough vegetables.

Better the next day: The Methi Chicken had taken on lovely subtle flavors over night. We think we were tasting the fenugreek leaves.

Methi Chicken

1 lb of boneless skinless chicken cut into 1” pieces

1 large onion, finely diced

2 large garlic cloves, finely minced

1” piece of ginger, peeled and finely minced

1 cup fresh or frozen thawed peas

1 bunch of fresh fenugreek leaves, (or you can use chopped baby spinach)

3-4 dried red chilies, to taste

½ tsp turmeric

1 tsp ground cumin powder

½ tsp ground coriander powder

1 tsp garam masala

Salt, to taste

¼ cup yogurt

2 tbsp oil, vegetable or canola

Freshly chopped cilantro leaves for garnish

In a large deep skillet or wok on medium high heat, add the oil. When hot, add the onions and stir-fry until golden brown. Add the ginger and garlic. Stir about 1 minute until fragrant. Add red chilies. After a minute or so, add the fenugreek leaves. Stir well and allow the leaves to wilt.

Add all of the spices (turmeric, ground cumin powder, ground coriander powder, garam masala and salt). Stir well to combine and allow the spices to fry in the oil for a few minutes.

Add the chicken pieces, stir to coat well and cook for a few minutes. Add peas with a little water (½ cup or so if needed). Cover, reduce to a simmer and cook for 5-6 minutes until the chicken is thoroughly cooked yet moist and tender. Finish the dish with a little yogurt, garnish with fresh cilantro leaves and serve with Basmati rice or fresh rotis.